Written by Jessica Chan
In an unoccupied SAL classroom, I rewatched Barbie in the Nutcracker for the first time in years — I have to say, there’s just something magical about the old Barbie movies that really cannot be replicated. Not to mention being reminded of how every one of these ended with a moral, where in this one, “when you’re kind, brave, and clever, anything is possible.”
When Barbie debuted into the movie world in 2001, she started off with some of the most cutting-edge animation technology of the time, and the iconic soundtrack of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker by the London Symphony Orchestra. You really cannot go wrong with this combination.
The actual plot is driven mostly by the comedy of the Mouse King (played by Tim Curry, by the way?!) and his pathetic bat sidekick, while the main characters make some less than wise choices. The stakes in this movie are surprisingly high, and then there’s a plot twist on the island that I hadn’t even realised was a core memory for me. I find that the pacing of the movie is generally rather slow, and I do not think this is just an attention deficit issue. I say this with all the affection in my heart, but every character in this movie moves and talks with this unintentional pause that makes me look around the screen like it’s an Office episode, and there’s a joke I’m missing out on.
Major Mint and Captain Candy, while not particularly impactful side characters, are my favourites, especially with the underlying tension between the two of them for the whole movie.
Important note: The New York City Ballet choreographed the movie. Why was the entire industry funding Barbie’s first movie? Mattel really wanted this to be a success, and frankly, it worked. The dancing in this movie is a little sparse, but it is a nice touch to see Clara, the main character (who looks identical to Barbie), gain confidence with every musical number. The ending sequence, that is, at least 5 minutes straight of dancing, might actually be my favourite segment as they celebrate Clara and The Nutcracker’s transformation into their true selves.
While the ‘it was all a dream’ ending is a little cliché, I find it a sweet and whimsical movie to watch over the Christmas season. Happy Holidays, everyone!
